AnguBt 2 , 189 . 4 , 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
97 
WLM' 
V 
WATER LILIES and PALMS 
AT KEW. 
-X- 
J UST as librarians take their holidays in other libraries, and a 
'bus driver when he has a day off duty mounts to the box-seat 
of a brother of the whip, so gardeners are reputed to recreate them¬ 
selves when a day can be snatched from “ damping-down, putting 
the air on,” and the other mysteries of the vocation, by visiting the 
scenes of the triumphs of other brethren of the craft. It is no 
doubt a part of the plans of no inconsiderable number of the 
readers of “our Journal” to take advantage of the approaching 
Bank Holiday to run up to London for a day or two. Such of 
them as do not make special arrangements to visit Kew during the 
forenoon hours at other times of the year should take the oppor¬ 
tunity of the public opening of the Gardens at ten o’clock on 
Monday next to go early before the crowd musters, and see the 
Water Lily house, which is now in its beautiful prime, between 
that hour and noon, and feast their eyes upon the collection of 
Nymphseas in the tank, and the other tropical contents of this 
unrivalled house. It is only on such rare occasions that the 
general public has the chance of seeing these gems of the stream 
and lake, as but few of them remain open after one o’clock, when 
the house is on ordinary days first open to visitors. The Water 
Lily house is a most successful instance of the use of the art 
which conceals art. The effect is light and pretty, the plants have 
the appearance of being happily placed and healthily grown, with 
a judicious blend of foliage, flower, and fruit, of water plants, bog 
plants, curiosities of vegetable life, and of economic use. 
Entering the house by the porch opposite the Palm house the 
floriferous Leadwort, Plumbago capensis, first takes the eye, and 
inside handsome Musas, with their stems in beds of bright Balsams, 
occupy the left hand border. On the roof is a large plant of 
Bougainvillea spectabilis, and trained up wires festooning the 
inner arch of the porch are plants of Manettia bicolor, spotted with 
its small bright red tubular flower, tipped with intense yellow. 
Once beyond the porch the tank and its contents will draw th© 
attention. This roomy structure, 2 feet deep by 36 feet in 
diameter, is warmed by two rows of pipes, and gives accommodation 
to a splendid collection of Nymphaeas, which most of them are 
grown in large pots standing on a leaden bottom. In the summer 
the heat of the water is maintained at 70° Fahr. The first 
Nymphasa seen will doubtless be N. Laydekeri, with its very 
beautiful pink petals which deepen in depth of tone with the age 
of the flower. These float among small leaves 3 to 5 inches across. 
N. gigantea, N. Lotus var. devoniensis, N. stiellata v. scutifolia, 
and N. Ortgiesiana occupy a large part of the surface. N, tuberosa 
V. flavescens, a beautiful little plant, with leaves only 4 inches in 
diameter, and flowers deepening from the pale sulphur of the outer 
sepals through all delicate gradations of primrose to the full 
Indian yellow of the stamens, has a choicely pure effect. If the 
day be cloudy N. Deari may be found still open, though it is 
seldom found expanded after 10 a.m. 
That most graceful and charming plant Nelumbium speci- 
osum will be found in the triangular corner tanks, associated with 
another foreshore plant, Limnocharis Plumieri, whose fleshy 
heart-shaped leaves, borne up on stout petioles, are exactly the 
same colour and texture as the Sacred Bean Lily. The flowers of 
the Limnocharis are on tall spikes, and of a low toned yellow 
deepening to the centre. The Nelumbium is also grown in pots. 
No. 736.—VoL. XXIX., Third Series. 
and interspersed with other foliage and flowering plants round 
the verge of the central tank. Opposite the door, on the far side, 
is a thicket of the ancient Paper Reed, Cyperus papyrus; and 
close to it Hemographis colorata, with spikes of orange flowers ; a 
strong plant of the Batavian Sugarcane, Saccharum violaceum ; 
a clump of Cyclanthus cristatus, 5 feet high by 7 feet through, 
with a growth like an Aspidistra ; several Hedychiums—H. coro- 
narium, with large heavily scented white flowers ; Sagittaria 
montevidensis, having tall sagittate leaves and three-petalled 
flowers of a delicate creamy white with a yellow eye, on which is a 
rich spot of purple red. The domestic rice, Oryza sativa, in 
fruit, grows modestly near a fine root of Acrostichum aureum, 
which represents the Fern family. 
The roof will be found a happy hunting place for the lovers of 
climbers and trailing plants, the species of tender tropical origin 
are sufficient to defy enumeration. If all else is passed the hairy 
Wax Gourd, Benincasia cereifera, will be seen, with its thick white 
fruit 18 inches long. The delicately pretty Momordica charantia, 
with its armed yellow capsules which split and disclose deep red 
seed ; the Snake Gourd, Trichosanthes anguina, its fruit deepening 
in intensity of colour from dark green to orange red ; several 
Cucumises (Luffas) help to furnish the rafters. There is a grand 
Solanum with clusters of large purple flowers, S. Wendlandi and 
two others of the genus, S. Seaforthianum with Jasmine-like 
leaves, and S. pensile, with thick clusters of a deeper purple* 
Allamanda Shotti still flourishes on the opposite side, several plants 
of Aristolochia gigas, of Passifloras, Bignonias, and Ipomseas are 
mixed with the Gourds. Clitoria ternata is interesting, as showing 
the hugely developed blue keel and wings concealing the standard. 
A grand plant of Ipomsea (Batatas) paniculata is employed to twine 
about the iron railings which contains the tank. We have never 
known a time when there has been none of its widely expanded 
flattened bells. The two honey glands just below the calyx glisten 
with nectar. Among the smaller occupants of the border are 
several Sensitive Plants, and that intensely red flower the Scutel¬ 
laria coccinea. In the lake near by on the northern side is an 
enclosed space, in which the student of the Nymphseas will find 
many of the hardier species. In the larger lake in the arboretum 
are some grand groups of the English forms now in full bloom. 
The Palm house and its contents will also doubtless be in¬ 
spected. This noble structure is undergoing considerable changes, 
the boilers being reset and increased in number to give greater 
heating power to the northern wing, and heat the additional piping 
which is being placed near the roof. The first object which the 
visitor sees on entering it by the northern door is the enormous 
Screw Pine, Pandanus odoratissimus, supported by large adven¬ 
titious roots, and which should be looked for, bearing great clusters 
of the fruit which gives the specific name. Among the Palms the 
genus Caryota, distinguished from others of the order by the 
bipinnate leaves, is well represented. Formerly C. elegans was 
a striking feature of the house, filling up a large part with its 
enormous leaves. C. furfuracea, but particularly 0. Cummingi, 
show an interesting habit of the genus. The plant mikes its 
growth from 10 to 30 feet, throwing out its bipinnate leaves all up 
the stem. From the axils of the leaves, beginning from the 
summit, the inflorescence then appears, and on the same stem 
great tassels of fruit in varying degrees of ripeness, till at the 
lower nodes the flowers may be seen in bloom. 
The two tallest Palms are Seaforthia elegans and Cocos 
plumosa. Round these and round the stem of Sabal Blackburniana 
the Monstera deliciosa climbs ; clusters of the young fruit may be 
seen. Near by is a good specimen of the Travellers’ Tree of Mada¬ 
gascar, Ravenala madagascariensis, which afford a never-failing 
supply of clear water to the droughty traveller. The leaves proceed 
from the stem in two ranks, the great sheathing petioles clasping 
each of them, the inner swollen base of a leaf leave a space in which 
the water accumulates. If the blade of a knife is inserted between 
No. 2392.—VoL. XCI., Old Series, 
